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Winfred Yavi nearly set a world record at the Rome Diamond League and is now aiming for higher achievements in her upcoming races.
Olympic champion Winfred Yavi of Bahrain has revealed her aspirations to break the women's 3000 meters steeplechase world record before this season concludes.
The 24-year-old's recent performance at the Diamond League meeting in Rome brought her tantalizingly close to this milestone finishing just a hair's breadth away from the existing record.
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22:38 - 30.08.2024
Winfred Yavi extends hot streak to strike meet record at the Diamond League in Rome
Fresh from claiming the women's 3000m steeplechase title at the Paris Olympic Games, Winfred Yavi has extended her winning streak to the Diamond League Meeting in Rome.
Yavi’s run in Rome was nothing short of spectacular as she clocked in at 8 minutes 44.39 seconds, missing the world record set by Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech in 2018 by a mere seven-hundredths of a second.
"I looked at the time after the race and I went 'oh, no!' I was really expecting that record and I was going for it. I definitely feel I should break it and I believe it will happen. I need to work even harder. And I am planning to have another go at it before the end of the season!" Yavi said in a post-race interview.
The event in Rome turned into a dramatic reprise of the Olympic final, with the same leading contenders vying for the top spots.
Ugandan Peruth Chemutai, the former Olympic champion, and Kenya's Faith Cherotich, the bronze medalist, were among the elite athletes challenging Yavi.
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22:00 - 22.08.2024
Why Kenya will not export athletics talent to Bahrain in the next four years
Bahrain has become one of the most attractive nations for Kenyan athletes to change nationalities to but runners intending to switch allegiance to the Asian nation will have to wait until 2027.
However, it was Yavi who emerged victorious, repeating her Olympic success by outpacing Chemutai in the crucial final moments of the race.
"Definitely, yes. If everything will be right on my side — be healthy, train well — in the next coming weeks, it definitely can happen," Yavi added, confident in her ability to set a new world record.
Her coach and team have been integral in her journey, ensuring she remains in peak condition and continues improving.
Yavi’s training sessions are reportedly intensifying, with specific adjustments being made to enhance her speed and stamina, critical factors in her pursuit of the world record.
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